White Spruce

The White Spruce is a medium to fast-growing (2+ ft per year) evergreen that has light green or even bluish-colored needles that are about 1 inch long. When crushed, it has a strong evergreen smell which is one way to tell it from other spruce. It never drops its needles and they can stay on for as long as 20 years. Its branches extend clear to the ground giving excellent low-level wind protection. It is a native of the northern United States and extends to the very end of the tree line in Canada.

It will grow up to 60+ ft tall and 20+ ft wide and it is very wind firm with a large spreading root system and flexible tough wood. It can live 80+ years in windbreaks and most do. Due to its shape, heavy snow and ice storms cause little damage. Deer will not normally eat this species unless there is nothing else.

It will grow well in hardiness zones from 2-6 and in some places, zone 6 can be too hot for this species in the summer. It does like a colder climate and does well in a variety of soils including clay soil and higher pH soils up to 9. It does best in well-drained soil with a pH of 7.0 and lower. It can take more moisture and does well in level areas that can be too wet for other species in wet years.

The white spruce enjoys 20” or more of rainfall every year. It has few disease problems unless stressed. Fungal diseases rarely affect this species and insect pests seldom occur on newly planted, older, or stressed trees.

We recommend spacing in a single row 16 feet apart, a double row 18 feet apart, or multiple rows 20 feet or more apart with trees staggered from the other rows. A 2’ tall potted tree should be over 8 ft tall in 5 years provided it is planted in good soil with adequate moisture and weed and grass control using herbicides, no mulching.

Here in Iowa and most of the northern 1/3 of the United States it is an excellent windbreak tree.